His name was David. He was a good looking man in his forties, always well dressed with a regal bearing in spite of his disability. He was likely taller than me but I would never know that, for that first time I met him he was confined to an electric wheelchair. I never learned by…
I do not fear death. Yet, death dogs my heels. Of course, since Death is the final outcome of life. I used to believe in eternal life: the notion that I would return after death and forever live on a refurbished planet, watched over by a benevolent God. I am not sure what I believe…
ALL THE WORLD’S A STAGE EXCERPTED from CRASH! All the world’s a stage, And all the men and women merely players: They have their exits and their entrances; And one man in his time plays many parts. AS YOU LIKE IT, ACT 2 SCENE 7 Nurse Jackie was right. Like a family gathered around…
An Excerpt from CRASH: In The Belly of the Whale At 3:00 a.m. August 21, 2010 I hit the wall: literally. Crowchild Trail, in Calgary, Alberta, Canada is a major traffic artery. Tens of thousands of commuters use Crowchild to get to and from work during the day. But at 3 in the morning the…
Most of my friends, and even much of my family, don’t quite get the fact that I am in pain constantly. That means, like, every minute of every day of every week of every month. Some ask, “How can you stand it?” I typically respond, “What choice do I have?” If I choose to live,…
One of the most difficult aspects of making a career, work, or job transition is the temptation to head back to Square One. What do I mean by Square One? Well, not necessarily back to the beginning – whatever that is – but back to the known, the familiar, the place you used to be…
Want to write an article, a scene in your novel, a blog post … but you’re stuck! Here’s a great way to kick start the creative process (Thanks to Dara the fearless new president of CARWA for this idea!) 1. Grab a random book from your library. You DO have a library don’t you? 2….
I’ll admit I’m a much more prolific user of Facebook than LinkedIn. However, being the friendly guy that I am, I’m happy if you want to Link up with me … even if I don’t really know you. I’m all about relationships. So, who knows, we could maybe just learn something from each other. But,…
I recently met with my new Pain Management Specialist. It was 1 of those “good news, bad news’ sessions. The good news? After reviewing 30 years of my medical history, he discovered that there was “nothing wrong with me physically”. YES, you heard that correctly! YES, I have been diagnosed with Fibromyalgia Syndrome and Chronic…
I’ve been stuck in a bit, okay a fricking humongous, emotional swirl lately. Transitions do that to me. Well, truthfully, they do it to everyone. It’s just that some of us seem to be more overtly bothered and bewildered by transition. It’s probably why I was drawn to do my Masters degree in the area…